As-built
Nested ESXi

Nested ESXi

This is the IP addresses used for the deployment.

IP Address FQDN Purpose
192.168.200.1 - pfSense Gateway + NTP
192.168.200.5 depot.lab.fiveorange.net DNS + HTTP Depot (Fedora)
192.168.200.10 proxmox.lab.fiveorange.net Proxmox VE Host
192.168.200.21 esxi-mgmt-01.lab.fiveorange.net Nested ESXi Host 1
192.168.200.22 esxi-mgmt-02.lab.fiveorange.net Nested ESXi Host 2
192.168.200.23 esxi-mgmt-03.lab.fiveorange.net Nested ESXi Host 3
192.168.200.49 vcf-installer.lab.fiveorange.net VCF Installer (temporary)
192.168.200.51 sddc-manager.lab.fiveorange.net SDDC Manager
192.168.200.52 vcenter.lab.fiveorange.net vCenter Server
192.168.200.53 nsxmgr.lab.fiveorange.net NSX Manager
192.168.200.54 nsxmgr-vip.lab.fiveorange.net NSX Manager VIP

Installing ESXi-01 from Proxmox

ssh into Proxmox and create the shells for ESXi.

ESXi-01 

qm create 101 \
  --name esxi-mgmt-01 \
  --memory 36864 \
  --cores 8 \
  --cpu host \
  --args '-cpu host,+svm,+npt' \
  --net0 vmxnet3,bridge=vmbr0 \
  --ostype other \
  --boot order=ide2 \
  --onboot 0
  
  
# Attach boot disk (80GB from local-lvm)
qm set 101 -sata0 local-lvm:40,ssd=1

#Add vSAN Cache Disks
qm set 101 --sata2 vmstore2-vsan:50,ssd=1

# Attach vSAN capacity disk (200GB from vmstore2-vsan)
qm set 101 -sata1 vmstore2-vsan:200,ssd=1

# Attach ESXi 9.0.1 ISO
qm set 101 -ide2 local:iso/VMware-VMvisor-Installer-9.0.1.0.24957456.x86_64.iso,media=cdrom

ESXi-02 

qm create 102 \
  --name esxi-mgmt-02 \
  --memory 53248 \
  --cores 10 \
  --cpu host \
  --args '-cpu host,+svm,+npt' \
  --net0 vmxnet3,bridge=vmbr0 \
  --ostype other \
  --boot order=ide2 \
  --onboot 0
  
  
# Attach boot disk (80GB from local-lvm)
qm set 102 -sata0 local-lvm:40,ssd=1

#Add vSAN Cache Disks
qm set 102 --sata2 vmstore2-vsan:50,ssd=1

# Attach vSAN capacity disk (200GB from vmstore2-vsan)
qm set 102 -sata1 vmstore2-vsan:200,ssd=1

# Attach ESXi 9.0.1 ISO
qm set 102 -ide2 local:iso/VMware-VMvisor-Installer-9.0.1.0.24957456.x86_64.iso,media=cdrom

ESXi-03 

qm create 103 \
  --name esxi-mgmt-03 \
  --memory 36864 \
  --cores 8 \
  --cpu host \
  --args '-cpu host,+svm,+npt' \
  --net0 vmxnet3,bridge=vmbr0 \
  --ostype other \
  --boot order=ide2 \
  --onboot 0
  
  
# Attach boot disk (80GB from local-lvm)
qm set 103 -sata0 local-lvm:40,ssd=1

#Add vSAN Cache Disks
qm set 103 --sata2 vmstore2-vsan:50,ssd=1

# Attach vSAN capacity disk (200GB from vmstore2-vsan)
qm set 103 -sata1 vmstore2-vsan:200,ssd=1

# Attach ESXi 9.0.1 ISO
qm set 103 -ide2 local:iso/VMware-VMvisor-Installer-9.0.1.0.24957456.x86_64.iso,media=cdrom

Installing ESXi

This process is the same for all the three hosts. The screenshots are a bit different, as I’ve been trying different approaches, tho it’s very straight forward.

Power on the VM and this is the first screen

Enter to continue.

Press F11 to Accept and Continue

We will install ESXi on the 80GB drive. The 200GB is for vSAN.

We will use defaults

Set a strong password

Might get this warning. Ignore it. Press Enter to continue

Press F11 to install.

Install is complete. Remove the media and reboot.

Post Install

After the reboot is complete,

Press F2 to go into settings and into IPv4 Configuration

Set the IP address and Enter

Now set the hostname

Press Enter to continue.

It will ask you to restart the management network. Press Y

Now enable SSH and ESXi Shell

ESXi Shell is enabled

SSH is enabled.

Now do the same for ESXI-02 and ESXI-03

NTP

You will need to ssh to the esxi server to run this. Run the following commands

# Set the server 
esxcli system ntp set --server=192.168.200.1

# Enable it 
esxcli system ntp set --enabled=true

# Verify it 
esxcli system ntp get

Verify it

# This is what it should return 

[root@esxi-mgmt-01:~] esxcli system ntp get
   Enabled: true
   Loglevel: warning
   PID: 266698
   Runtime Seconds: 228
   Servers: 192.168.200.1
   Service Providing Kernel Time: Network Time Protocol
   Time Service Enabled: true
   Time Synchronized: true

Note

You will have to wait for 5+ minutes before the ntp syncs.

You can also run the command to test the ntp

root@esxi-mgmt-01:~] esxcli system ntp test                                      
   Comments:                                                                     Service analysis started on host: esxi-mgmt-01.lab.fiveorange.net,               
Test started at: 2025-12-03T07:26:25Z,                                           
Time Service is administratively enabled.,                                       
Verifying NTP service.,                                                          
NTP server: 192.168.200.1 resolves IPv4: 192.168.200.1,                          
Virtual NIC vmk0 : Admin: Up,                                                    
IP Interface: vmk0 IPv4 Address: STATIC 192.168.200.21,                          
IP Interface: vmk0 connected to Management Network on vSwitch0,                  
IP Network Stack: defaultTcpipStack,                                             
Physical NIC vmnic0 : Admin: Up Oper: Up,                                        
Firewall Rule: ntpClient allows traffic on port: 123,                            
Firewall Rule: ntpClient allows all IPs,                                         
ntpd is running, PID: 266698,                                                    
Kernel clock type: ntp,                                                          
NTP is in sync ,                                                                 
Peering with: 192.168.200.1,                                                     
Stratum: 4,                                                                      
Accuracy to within: 491.689000 msecs,                                            
Polling every: 64 secs,                                                          
Network delay round trip: 13.057000 msecs,                                       
Difference from remote clock: -0.200377 msecs,                                   
Service analysis completed.                                                      
   Timeinsync: true

vSAN Disk Detection

Ensure that you have the Is SSD: true flag is enabled.

ssh into the ESXi servers and run the following command

esxcli storage core device list  | less

# or
esxcli storage core device list  | grep -i ssd 
esxcli storage core device list  | grep -i ssd                                                                                       
   Is SSD: true                                                          
   Is SSD: true
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Depot serverVCF Installer on Nested ESXi